The Bachelorette season 18 couple Michelle Young and Nayte Olukoya have announced their breakup after getting engaged last year on the show.
The Bachelorette season 18 couple Michelle Young and Nayte Olukoya have announced their breakup. Michelle, a 28-year-old elementary school teacher from Minnesota and Nayte, a 27-year-old sales executive originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, fell in love on the show in 2021 and had been building a life together ever since. Although they initially appeared to be very different, Michelle was drawn to Nayte from the first night of the show when she gave him her first impression rose. Throughout the season, Nayte had some trouble expressing his feelings because he had never been in love. However, at the end, Nayte told Michelle that he loved her and proposed.
Throughout the last few months, some fans have speculated that Michelle and Nayte broke up, but Michelle attributed the vibes that people were picking up to the fact that she was upset about leaving her teaching career at the end of the school year. They both repeatedly denied that they had broken off their engagement. Michelle even reminded her fans that she and Nayte are humans and not a “zoo exhibit.” Unfortunately, their social media followers were right about their breakup.
In an Instagram story, Michelle wrote a message about the breakup, addressing those who have supported her and Nayte, including Bachelor Nation, saying, “I know I speak for the both of us when saying having a relationship in the public eye has not been easy.” She went on to say that she was struggling to say that she and Nayte will be going their “separate ways,” but “I stand with him in knowing the heaviness that is present in both of our hearts as this relationship has been very real for us.” Michelle wrote directly to Nayte saying, “you quickly became my best friend and the love I have for you is incredibly strong. I will never stop wanting to see you succeed.” She added that she will always “acknowledge and appreciate the adventures, support, and growth both Nayte and this experience have brought me.” She concluded by saying that she is “deeply hurting and will need time and space to work through this heartbreak.”
In his own Instagram story, Nayte also addressed the breakup, writing that when he and Michelle started this journey, they were both looking for their soulmates, their forever, and their best friends. However, Nayte acknowledged that “as we grow and learn, we also realize that sometimes somebody that you hold dear to your heart isn’t somebody that you’re meant to spend the rest of your life with.” Nayte wrote, “Hearts are heavy, emotions are high, and we are dealing with this the best way we can.” He explained that he and Michelle are naturally private people and would like to keep the breakup private. However, he said that what he does want to share with everyone is “that this was real. We genuinely fell in love, and we genuinely became each other’s best friends. Michelle and I will always cheer each other on, but moving forward, we will be cheering from a distance.” Nayte thanked the public who supported them and asked everyone to remember that the emotions and heartbreak are real and that he and Michelle are real people. Nayte concluded his post by saying, “We’re human beings going through a breakup, and we all know breakups are difficult. So we’re asking that you allow us our privacy so that we can mend our hearts in the privacy of our own lives. Thank you.”
Michelle and Nayte were a fan-favorite Bachelorette couple. The news of their split is heart-wrenching because they really seemed like they had found their forever in each other. Hopefully, the public will respect their wishes of allowing them to go through this breakup in private. Michelle and Nayte deserve time to heal and to find true happiness and love.
The Bachelorette season 19 premieres July 11 at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
Source: Michelle Young/Instagram, Nayte Olukoya/Instagram
